Nunavut confirms first case of COVID-19 in Pond Inlet

Apr 30, 2020 | 8:57 AM

IQALUIT, Nunavut — Nunavut says it has its first case of COVID-19.

The territory’s chief public health officer, Dr. Michael Patterson, says the case was detected in the community of Pond Inlet.

“We did anticipate that it was only a matter of time before our territory had a confirmed case, and unfortunately, today is that day,” Patterson said in a news release Thursday.

The person was said to be in isolation and doing well.

The territory’s rapid response team was on its way to the community and Patterson said contact tracing had been initiated.

Nunavut is the last Canadian jurisdiction to report a COVID-19 case.

Pond Inlet is on the northern part of Baffin Island, about 1,000 kilometres north of Iqaluit, and has a population of about 1,600.

In the latest count before the report of the Nunavut infection, Canada had 51,596 confirmed or presumptive cases of the respiratory novel coronavirus, and had recorded 2,996 deaths.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2020

The Canadian Press